Baltimore County Police gets community input for drone response program

The Baltimore County Police Department is gathering community feedback for its proposed Drone as a First Responder program, which will assist officers during emergency responses. 

Maj. Wes Fischer, with the Baltimore County Police, says the program would be funded by money the county receives from speeding cameras.

If the department moves forward with the project, a policy needs to be drafted citing what calls the drone would respond to, and then a pilot program would be started.

"Slowly start with a certain area and respond to a limited number of calls to make sure the technology works," Maj. Fischer said.

Advantages of police drones

Having a drone as a first responder, agencies like police departments can deploy them from a farther distance, which allows the technology to be first on the scene of an emergency, according to law enforcement officers.

The vantage point also gives officers a better idea of the area they are responding to.

"There have been cases where drones have responded to the scene first, and a person was reported to have a weapon, but they were able to say, 'No, we're able to see it. It's not a weapon," Maj. Fischer said. "You can then de-escalate. You can control your response a little differently."

Residents share feedback on the drone program

The police department shared the advantages of drone use with residents in Dundalk Wednesday night at a community meeting, hoping to get their feedback and support.

 "It can picture people," Baltimore County resident Olivia Lomax said. "You get the right person. You're not picking up somebody who just happened to walk by. I think it's essential."

But some residents have doubts about the drone program.

"It's a good tool for the police officers," said Baltimore County resident Paul Stifflar. "As far as keeping crime down and all the police calls coming in, they're still going to come in."

Baltimore County Police will have the drones back out on display on Thursday in Randallstown and then on Monday in Towson.

Anne Arundel police expands drone program

The Anne Arundel County Police Department recently launched its patrol drone program, focused on enhancing emergency response.

The program expands the department's existing drone operations, previously limited to crash investigations, to include real-time support for 911 calls and police-generated incidents.

According to the department, the drones provide aerial perspectives to help officers deploy resources more strategically.

 "When they get to the scene, they can deploy a drone, obtain real-time information, and they can direct officers to where the actual problem is," said Marc Limansky, a spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

The patrol drones will assist in searches for missing persons, crowd and traffic management during special events, and live video transmission to the department's Real-Time Information Center.

Maryland police drone usage

Baltimore City unveiled its draft drone policy in July 2023 to allow the use of drones in scenarios such as documenting crime scenes, SWAT situations, active shooter events, and hostage rescues. 

In April 2024, the Harford County Sheriff's Office used drones to apprehend suspects in two home invasions. In November, Harford deputies captured two Baltimore City teens accused of breaking into more than 20 vehicles.

Also in 2024, Howard County police used a drone to locate a minor who crashed a stolen car and left the scene. 

Drones also assisted in the arrest of David Linthicum in 2023 after he shot two Baltimore County Police officers and fled to Fallston.